Length ?.....

[J.Stockhardt82]

I'm looking at purchasing my first gun , most of my diving will be in the gulf of Mexico along the Texas coastline, but occasionally around the Mediterranean. I've settled on either a Rabitech stealth or an apex but i'am still confused as to what the best length would be due to two considerations: 1) This will have to serve as my primary gun for now and i would like the option of having a gun suitable for both inshore/reef Fish and Larger Offshore species(tuna/mackeral/wahoo) and 2) I like the idea of a gun/reel setup for simplicity. I'm 24yrs old-6'1-190 pds, in good physical shape and very strong for my size. Any suggestions would be well appreciated. Big thanks !

 

[Marwan]

well, in principle there is not a ""one gun for all", but maybe the apex carbon in 110 length could do the trick...you might need to use it with different setups...e.g. use twin 16mm bands and 8mm shaft for blue water bigger game fish ...and a single 18-20mm band and 6.5-7mm shaft for the standard setup...in such case i would recommend that you get the rabitech open muzzle to make these setup switches easy... and as my buddy miles here advised me wisely the closed muzzle makes using the 8mm shaft quite challenging... (doenst go through easily)...and on a separate note,..you dont need a lot of strength to load guns, its mostly technique...
happy hunting

 

[getawayFK]

I think you should stick to euro ones.... (well im not an advocate of american guns at all...).

Consider an OMER T20 carbon with reel attached to it or a rob allen railgun. they have reasonable price, and i think they should do the job pretty well... your setup can be like a 6.5mm or 7mm shaft, and 2 16mm , single 18mm, or single 20mm bands. As or length, 100 to 130cm should satisfy your needs. For larger preys (tunas etc...), u should consider buoy/floatline setup, as you don't want to risk losing your equipment.

I also heard the riffe euro series is pretty good too... u might want to consider it. I'll let the more expert in it give their opinions...

 

[deep thinker]

:martial 1.1m APEX:martial !!!!!!!! Nothing beats that gun, my first gun used as primary choice for most hunts, allthough I have the Ali barrel with rail and not carbon. You can target almost anything from 1 to 15KG but I would also recomend a float as well as a possible reel setup. If you go for large fish in the 30+kg range in clear water, 30+m viz youd need a bigger gun though possibly a 1.3 with breakaway or sliptip rig on a 40L float, as most of the time untill your used to this type of hunting fish seem closer and smaller than what they really are

 

[J.Stockhardt82]

Big thanks to Marwan, getawayFX, and deep thinker. Your recommendations were a big help. Because of them I've decided to go with a rabitech 1.2m carbon apex w/ 2-16mm bands and a 5-pack of 7-7.5mm spears to start out. Out of curiosity: Would 2-18mm bands and a 7.5-8mm spear setup on the 1.2m apex give it a little extra range and power or just overpower the gun ?

 

[Marwan]

i have the apex 1.2 carbon with twin 16's and 8mm shaft.. that is the factory setup for bluewater... try it out first..i think you should have the range/power as well as easiness to load you need.. if you feel yu need more range go with the 18's.. personally i think its overpowering and dont take my word for it, but i think the apex trigger mech will handle the extra load..
mind you though,, that for quick loading..especially when there are many fish around.. single bands are a better choice.. like i said "no gun fits all"
cheers and happy hunting

 

[deep thinker]

Normally adding more or thicker bands and a heavier spear adds more power and punch to go through thicker and stronger fish. Your given range on the gun with the factory lenth of mono should be sufficient in range as shots longer than that is normally detrimental to the accuracy

 

[covert]

yip with 2x18mm youll need to up the spear to 8mm adds more wheight to the spear and thus more punch as well as helping the spear not to flex once launched. But 7.5mm spears should work too.

 

[J.Stockhardt82]

Thanks Again, with the setup Marwan mentioned above i feel confident about my planned purchase along with some 7mm and 8mm spears, various rubbers and additionally the new rabitech open muzzle and their new reel.
P.S. Anybody know where to purchase a beuchat or rabitech wetsuit here in the states ?

 

[deep thinker]

Here in SA the rabiteck predator wetsuits are made by Coral wetsuits, dont know if you find em in the states though

 

[J.Stockhardt82]

Looks like if i send in the measurements coral will custom tailor one for me-still need to check on payment and shipping options. Thanks for the info Deep Thinker

 

[Marwan]

if you are in warmer waters (which i trust is the case) get the BEuchat mundial reversible 1.5 mm or maybe 3.5 mm if you get cold easy.. a great suit and easy to wear